


Island Routine

by atouchofprincecharming



Category: Films - Fandom, Harrison Ford - Fandom, Six Days Seven Nights, movies - Fandom
Genre: Explorers, F/F, F/M, Gen, Islands, M/M, Multi, Other, Pilots, Rivals, friendships, photographer, relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-09-15 04:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9219725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atouchofprincecharming/pseuds/atouchofprincecharming
Summary: An island team of explorers find themselves being kept by their rivals.





	1. Late Again

Title: Island Routine  
Rating: T  
Summary: An island team of explorers find themselves being kept by their rivals.  
Fandom: Harrison Ford / non-iconic Harrison Ford  
Feedback: Why the hell not?  
Disclaimer: Quinn Harris and Robin Monroe do not belong to me.  
Notes: I lack a Beta.

[Chapter 1: Late Again]

She found herself slipping into the last seat located in the back of his class. It had been the only one empty, every time, and she had almost always slipped into it with ease.

Fifteen minutes later was no big deal, she thought -- better than last time, she nodded in agreement with herself as she opened up her notebook as quietly as she could.

She caught a smirk from a young man who seemed to have lost his train of thought the moment she appeared. She gave him a small smile before his pen went crashing to the floor and it sounded in the room like his entire desk had flipped over.

She snorted; embarrassed for him, but not feeling sorry for him in the slightest. He was there to learn and his attention should be on his instructor.

\----------

Once class ended, the students flew out of their desks as if they were bees to honey.

“You were late.” He called after her hunchback as she tried to zig-zag her way through a few of people. “Again.” She froze, then turned around easily. “I can’t teach ya once we’re up in the air if you’re not gonna give me the time of day when we’re on the ground.”

“I’m only a chapter behind.”

“And a quiz.” He pointed out. “Jefferies says you need your license.”

“And I’ll get it, but I had to cover for someone at Tiki… I had no intention of being late.”

He sighed while crossing his arms over his chest. He looked a smidgen worried, but he shook it off like he always seemed to do when it came to her. “We’ve got someone coming in from the city…” He cleared his throat, “New York City to be exact. She’s a magazine editor and photographer.”

“Fancy.” She commented, coming closer to him.

“I suppose…” He shrugged. “Anyway, she wants to come out here and get a feel of a few islands before she decides to take some of her interns out here.”

She shrugged. “Sounds okay.” She tucked her notebook under her arm, “How long until she arrives?”

“About a week… two tops.” He eyed her, then unfolded his arms. “I’ve got some time later tonight if you want me to cover what you missed today… and yesterday.”

“I put in for another shift at Tiki… if you come by we can start there when there’s some downtime?”

He rolled his eyes a bit, then nodded. “Alright… but you better be sober enough to understand just what the hell I’m saying.”

“I’m always sober.” She reminded him before rushing from his classroom with her hand waving at him.

\----------

Hermie was the last person Quinn had wanted to see because he was in fact the drunkest person that never seemed to leave the island of Makatea.

“Hermie, shut up will ya?” Quinn wondered around sheer annoyance.

“What’s the matter Quinny-baby, you’re not feelin’ so hot tonight?”

He gave the man a sideways look, then sighed before taking a sip of his cold beer. “I’m feeling just fine…” He looked around the bar at what he saw were the usual locals and a few new faces.

“Hey check out that hot little number over there!” He exclaimed; incredibly loud and attention-grabbing as a typical tourist grew alarmed and nearly tripped on her way out of the bar.

“Hey--hey...cool it.” Quinn pushed his hand down to get rid of his erect finger cutting through the air. “You keep that up and they’ll arrest your ass.”

“I can’t help it, Quinny-baby. I’m really in the mood for some hot stuff!”

Just then a waitress passed by with a tray full of hot wings. She rolled her eyes when she noticed Hermie and Quinn smirked as he recognized her.

“Here you are.” She said kindly as she placed the tray down in front of Quinn.

“Thanks.” He said with a grin. “How’s it going?”

“Eh… it’s going.” She shrugged. “Want me to put this on your tab?”

He was right on his way to telling her that would be fine when Hermie jumped up and nearly toppled the table over.

“Jesus Christ, Hermie…” Quinn sighed loudly. “Would ya sober up?!”

“Get me another and put it on his tab, Sweetheart--” Herbie slurred.

“Get this maniac a glass of water and don’t put it on my tab.” He told her.

Once she walked away, he eyed Hermie. “You need to get your shit together, Hermie. You’re scaring all the women in here tonight!”

Hermie frowned and fell back a little. “...suppose why that is it?”

Quinn chewed the first wing of the evening as he gave Hermie recurring weird looks.

\----------

He stood there, bending at the waist as he leaned in over the bar. “Naomi, come on…” He said aloud as he brought his wrist in front of him so she could see and began tapping his watch. “It’s after ten already.” He waved at the bar that had started to clear now that the rain had started. “The night’s gonna be a wash out. You might as well close up now.”

“Go check on Hermie. He staggered into the men’s room about ten minutes ago.”

“No.” Quinn said without hesitation. “Last time you sent me in there after him I ended up stepping in whatever came out of him.” He pointed down downwards with both hands. “These are new loafers.”

“Which I gave to you.”

“Your brother gave them to me.”

“Well that was nice of him, but they’re still something you possess that you didn’t exactly pay for.”

He gave her a twisted look. “So you’re gonna make me pay for them now by going in after that drunken bastard?” He huffed. “This isn’t even what you’re supposed to be doing and you’re trying to get me to do something I’m not even supposed to be doing?”

“He hasn’t got anyone. We’ve got to make sure he’s alright… and we’ve got to take him back home.”

His eyes bugged out of his skull. “Are ya nuts?!” He shook his head. “If you want to nurse him back to health, you can do it in your own place. He’s not stepping foot in mine -- last time I had him over he stole fifty bucks from me!” He had a flashback to that one time almost instantly. “...sonofabitch…” He muttered.

Naomi gave him a look.

He stiffened after he read her message. “Alright -- I’ll go… but ya make sure when we come out of there you’re ready to go.”

She gave him a quick smile as she began hurrying around behind the bar.

Quinn grunted as he marched over to the men’s room door and jabbed the door open with his palm.

\----------

Naomi shrugged one shoulder to re-position Hermie’s head so he wouldn’t wake up with neck pain in the morning. She didn’t know how she always managed to find herself seated next to him, and she didn’t how she was even able to fit the both of them so comfortable in one large sofa-type chair.

“He ought to be ashamed of himself--”

“So says the man who I remember couldn’t remember the day of the week once upon a time…” she snickered. “You shouldn’t forget where you came from, Quinn.”

“I came from Texas. I didn’t come from infinite drunken nights at an island bar.” He grumbled. “You met me during a tough time in my life.”

“It hadn’t seemed that tough with what’s her name always hanging around…”

He gave her a look as he remembered his on and off again relationship with Angelina. He couldn’t say he felt the most proud about that part of his life, but he never would try to admit it anyway. He knew Naomi would tease him about it endlessly and insist he was lying.

“She was a friend.”

“The friendliest…” She snickered and it seemed to have activated Hermie’s snoring. “He kind of makes cute sounds, no?”

“He’s a putz.” He shook his head. “How are ya doing with the note taking?”

“I’m going as fast as I can…” She motioned to the man slumping over one half of her.

Quinn inhaled as he stood from his bed, putting his glasses on his nightstand. Going over to the chair, he lifted Hermie and slumped him over one shoulder before practically tossing him on the middle of his bed.

Hermie grumbled and almost barked before he began snoring louder than before.

Quinn turned the bedroom lamp off before he pushed the chair she was sitting on into his living room. Shutting the door behind him, he huffed. “Sheesh…” He began. “The nerve of that guy.”

“Make sure your windows are closed so rain doesn’t get in and get him all wet.”

Quinn narrowed his eyes. “I already saw him naked… I don’t care if he gets wet all over again. He’ll just have to stay that way until the morning.”

“He could catch a cold.”

“You wanna go in there and check?” He asked her knowing she wouldn’t. Hermie was someone she cared about, but there were times when he grew incredibly handsy when he was completely out of his skull. She looked at him meekly, “I didn’t so. He’ll be alright.” He pulled up a chair and sat next to the one she was sitting in. “We’re in for some major exposure if we can get our ducks in a row and give this lady everything she hopes for and more…” He took the papers she handed him and he flipped to another section of what she needed to copy. “There’s a license test happening one week from today. You need to buckle down and pass the written and the physical exam. Without it, Jefferies will keep us grounded and our exposure goes to another team.” He tried to get her attention. “Look at me when I’m talking to ya about stuff like this.”

“I’m listening.” She insisted, but heard him shift in his seat until his back was against the wooden bars of the chair. “Alright… I’m listening.” She stilled her pen and looked him straight in the face.

“More exposure means more money and more money means we won’t have to bust our asses. We both know that Jefferies knows we’re the best he’s got, but he pays us what he pays everybody else.” He got out of his chair to grab a few folders he had lying around his coffee table. “I’ve been looking at inhabited islands. We get the money, we can build on there… make it one of the main ports.”

She looked at the information he was holding; skeptical. “And the government will allow this?”

“Why not?” He shrugged. “Besides… I’ll figure it out when we get to that point, but in the meantime, you need to get your license.”

She could have chosen that moment to question him again. To use her negative side to worm around in his hopes and future plans, but didn’t have the heart to wipe such a look on his face. His eyes had a hint of a sparkle in them and a cute grin to go with it. 

“What?” He finally asked.

“Nothing… just concentrating.” She held the paper she was writing on up and jiggled it. “Trying to ‘buckle’ down.”

His grin grew wider. “No more favors over at Tiki?” She shook her head. “And no more Hermie?”

“None… but if he winds up drunk again I won’t rest unless I know he’s safe, so you’re going to have to help me out there.”

He grumbled.

“Deal?” She pointed to all of the plans inside the folder.

“Deal.” He said within seconds.


	2. 2: Our Client

"PILOT LICENSE?!"

Mallory was about the thinnest woman on the island, and the tallest. Nothing ever changed about her appearance other than the long line of pants she seemed to always have read to wear.

"Don't you ever get hot in these things?" Naomi held up about five pairs of pants, one in every color of the rainbow.

"No." She grabbed them out of her hands and threw them next to her pile of hangers. "Pilot license?" She waited as she almost started to tap her foot.

"Jefferies doesn't like the fact that he's the only one that knows how to fly--"

"So he's making you get one?"

"He's not 'making' me..." She shook her head. "I mean, I kind of have to get it."

She made a face. "No you don't." She didn't like the idea. "I don't see him getting a license for anything."

Naomi made a face of her own. "Well he's already got one and besides, what else is there that happens on these islands that requires a license?"

Mallory was stumped, but she still wouldn't let up. "It doesn't matter. Do you even want to be a pilot?"

"I won't be flying unless something happens to him and that never is the case. Once he has a splitting headache and he flew all the way home."

"That's dangerous."

"Well..." She shrugged. "I suppose, but that's why I'll have my license and when he has another headache I can just wrap him up, put him in the back, and tell him to nap until we land."

Mallory rolled her eyes. "You think he's going to give up all that control?" She huffed. "Sometimes his ego is big enough to keep his plane in the air."

Naomi stayed quiet before reaching for some of the hangers.

"Just be careful with him..." She nudged her with her elbow to make sure she was listening. "He's kind of touch and go... and lately, he's being a little too touchy."

"How would you even know?"

"People talk. I listen."

"Sure..." Naomi rolled her eyes. "I didn't know you knew how to understand birds.

Mallory shoved a few pairs of pants into her hands. "Very funny."

\----------

Quinn stood busy with his hands as he drained the dirty oil from his plane. He was far from neat as it stained part of his jumper and face from a half hour ago.

On his way to tighten something, it slipped and eventually broke off, landing in the pale he had hanging from part of his plane. Now it drown in the oil and grunted in annoyance.

"Miserable piece of rat shit!" He barked, before sensing someone was looking at him.

When he looked up he saw a woman as ready as ever to get her vacation started. Short dress, big hat, and sunglasses that were probably the hippest ones of the year.

He smiled at her, gave her his name, then proceeded to extend his hand. When he caught sight of all the mess on it, he took it back and muttered to himself. "Shake later?"

"I'm not sure if I'll see you later." She offered around a small laugh. "Robin Monroe... I'm here looking for a pilot instructor, maybe you know him."

He forgot about the mess on his hand and grew serious. "That's me. I'm the instructor... and the pilot."

She thought about him being 'the' pilot, but didn't decided not to comment on that. "Well then, nice to meet you and I guess I will be seeing your later."

"You bet." His eyes bright and a smile to match. "Do you have any luggage?"

"I haven't picked it up yet. There seems to be a crowd waiting."

"Give me ten minutes to clean up and I'll meet you inside?"

"Okay. Sure." She waved at him as he left.

\----------

"Don't you ever get tired of doing hair?" She picked up several magazines of different hairstyles. "Or do your fingers ever cramp?"

"Don't you ever get tired of covering people's shifts at Tiki and helping Hermie's drunken ass every night?" Naomi turned her head quickly to glare at her friend. "I told you... people talk, I listen."

"You need to get yourself a hobby."

"I haven't got time. I have to do hair and take care of you."

"I don't need to be taken care of. I'm a grown woman."

"...sometimes..." She tossed at her. "Sometimes I catch a glimpse of you and you're just standing there all doe-eyed and beaming like you believe in magic."

"Well I do." She sighed when she saw her friend trying to hide her grin. "I believe in magic in the sense that it can be used for good or evil. I don't believe that I'm capable of doing it, but I do believe other people can."

"You're like that woman in Weekend at Bernie's 2."

"I'm offended by that."

"But it's true."

"No it isn't." She insisted. "Listen, hurry up with the laundry. I've got to get to class. I've been late enough already."

Mallory fanned her friend off, "That man has plenty of time left in his schedule to help you when it's on your time."

"He teaches a class... I'm not the only student."

"You are the only student he's forcing to get a pilot license."

"We'll be grounded without the license. There's really no choice."

"What's so bad about being grounded?" Mallory shrugged as she made motions with her hands. "This is a beautiful island. There are plenty of things to do here." She watched as she almost took her eye out with a rubber hair band. Snatching it away from her friend, she shook her head at her as if she were her mother, or worse, an older and wiser sister. "He should do what he always did... fly the tourist and nothing else."

"He wanted to do more with his life."

"Did he come to this conclusion before or after the dancer left him?"

"She didn't leave him. His wife left him... they just parted ways."

"That's not what I heard."

Naomi pushed her head back to ease her aching neck. "Go ahead Mallory, tell me what you heard..."

"I know nothing." She shrugged. "All I know is that she left him because he had his eyes on someone else."

"I didn't see him with any other woman."

"Do you spend all of your time with him?"

Naomi thought about it. "No..."

"He kept flying to one of the nearby islands a few nights a week."

"Good for him." She didn't feel like getting into his love life with her friend or with anyone. "Apparently it didn't last."

"No..." Mallory fell back a bit. "She was married."

"Married?"

"He didn't know of course...or so he said..."

She yawned loudly. "Alright Mallory..." She stood from the chair and stretched. "I better get going."

"Don't you want to know what else I heard?"

"No, Mallory -- I don't. It's none of your business or my business. Besides... it's a thing of the past. She's a thing of the past and the only interest he has at the moment is everything -- but a woman."

Mallory looked at her as if she wanted to ask her how could she be so sure, but she bit her tongue and wished her friend a good rest of the day.

\----------

Sitting over a tropical drink, he began to tell her about the people she would soon be able to meet.

"Jefferies is the guy we're employed by. If Jefferies says we're grounded... we're grounded. The team is made up of myself, Oscar, Naomi, and Carter. We've been thinking about taking on a few more people, but the more people the more space we need on the plane... which isn't possible."

"Have you ever thought of buying another plane?"

He chuckled. "Thought? More like dreamed... a lot." He took a sip of his drink. "What goes on in your profession?"

"I'm a magazine editor, but I would like to finally get my own business off the ground."

"Same field?" He came in a little closer; interested in someone else wanting to embark on creating a name of themselves.

"Well..." She rubbed at the back of her neck a little. "I think I mentioned in an email to you about photography, but there's only so many pictures I can take before I miss my writing, but sometimes I can't write without my pictures so..." She lightly laughed. "I'd like to have my own magazine and then a magazine for specific interests. That's why I'm here... I want an Island Life magazine."

He nodded. "Wouldn't the people back in the states like the softer sides of the islands?"

"Perhaps..." She smiled. "I just rather give them something else that isn't out there. I'd like a real travel magazine and actually with you being a pilot, maybe a spread for you and the rest of the guys in my first issue."

"Sure I won't break the camera?"She laughed as his grin widened. "I'm sure the guys would love that. Let's hope they get their pilot licenses before you leave."

There was a bit of a pause, then she cleared her throat a little. "I guess you meant it when you said you were 'the' pilot."

"Yeah... the one and only..." He shrugged. "There's a few other pilots here, but they spend most of their time on the other islands. I'm the only one that pretty much stays grounded here. I do teach pilot classes... they're coming along fine, but there's a few that are a bit behind."

She lulled her head to one side as she played with the straw inside her drink. "Either they're young, single, and ready to party or they're middle aged with children, trying to look cool for their families and so--"

"Oh gees... never. I'd never let the middle aged ones in there. One screw up and down they go right along with my plane. No thanks." He chuckled. "The young ones... unfortunately they are single meaning they can't seem to keep up with the amount of women on this island which then turns into them staggering into class late."

"Young love." She commented.

"Yeah..." He chuckled. "Something like that..." He said as he glaned at her ring finger and found it completely bare. "We were all there once, I suppose."

She nodded in agreement, taking a moment to look for any indication of a wedding ring.

"Quinn!"

Hearing his name, he sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat as he looked around in the direction the voice came from.

"What happened to your class?!" Naomi practically barreled into the table as she dodged a chair she hadn't realized was in front of her.

"I had to cancel it." He knitted his eyebrows. "I'm sorry... I meant to call you, but I forgot--"

"Ugh..." She sounded more out of exhaustion than annoyance, but he couldn't tell the difference and so it made him a little annoyed. "Did you eat something already?"

"I'm not hungry."

It was then that she noticed he was in the middle of something. "Oh-- I'm sorry!" She held out her hand for the woman to shake. "Naomi Ross. I'm--"

"Partners with Quinn. He told me... I'm sorry, I forgot the names of the others."

"Oscar and Carter." Naomi reminded her. "And you are?"

"Robin Monroe."

"Is this your first time on the island?"

"Is it that obvious?" Robin said around a nervous smile.

"Well... no, I mean... Quinn usually never cancels his classes unless he's tied up with a new tourist. He usually likes to scare them a little and then send them on their merry little way."

"That's not true." He said instantly.

"Okay, Quinn..." Naomi playfully rolled her eyes. "Consider yourself lucky that I came here. I've saved you from his destruction."

"That's enough, Naomi." His voice was stern, yet light. 

"I'm just teasing you." She fanned him off.

"Robin is the woman I spoke to you about a few days ago." His eyes told her that he wasn't happy with her. "She knew you're one of my partners because I told her about our team. "She's our client."

Naomi stood there blinking. Never did she ever hear the word client come out of his mouth or anyone's while on the island, but she smiled politely and allowed him to continue.

"I'm going to help her get checked into the hotel and then I'm going to re-open the building. Would you mind rounding up the class so that I can get in a pop quiz."

"What for?" She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, "I meant... why are you giving a pop quiz?"

"Why not?"

She tried to read what he meant by that, but she couldn't read anything. "I'll round up the guys..." She turned to look at Robin. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon. It was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well."

She waved at the both of them and went over to the bar.

"Thanks for taking care of Hermie last night." Andy said from behind the bar. "I feel awful not being able to help him, but my wife's in a bad place right now... she threatened to take the kids away if I didn't keep away from him. He's not a bad guy... not in the least, but he's just trying on her nerves and I--"

"You don't have to explain, Andy. I understand." She offered him a small smile. "Can I use your phone?"

"Sure." He looked over at Quinn as she went through her bag to find the numbers she needed to dial. "New girlfriend?" He motioned behind her. When she turned around, she saw Quinn and Robin speaking to each other from across the table.

"She's a client." She giggled at the word, but soon fell into a straight face. "She got here earlier than I expected... but I guess that's just like a client."

Andy smirked. "I hope he's not thinking about getting involved with this one."

"What was that?" She hadn't understood what he had mumbled.

"Nothing." He shrugged. "You know how much I like to tease him sometimes."

"Isn't he just the best one to tease?" She agreed, then broke into a giggle. "He gets so tense at the littlest of things."

Andy agreed while wiping up some water from the bar.

Naomi's bag fell open and he took in some of the contents that spilled from inside of it. Turning his neck to an angle, he noticed a few pictures threatening to fall over to his end of the bar. Grabbing them, he removed the paper clip and began taking a look.

She had been oblivious to it all as she chatted with the first classmate.

In several pictures he noticed Quinn working on one of their many trips to various islands. If anything, the point of most of the pictures had been to show him working.

He glanced at her as he held on to the picture and noticed as she did what he was sure he had asked her to do.

It hadn't been the first time she had asked to use his phone. He knew when she did, she had to make phone calls on behalf of Quinn because he was always too busy to do them himself.

As Andy's gaze left hers, he looked back at Quinn and noticed his body language.

He began to feel uncomfortable while a disappointed look fell on his face. Clipping the pictures together, he eased them back into her bag without her noticing.

"Take as long as you need." He whispered to her before he went to tend to a customer.


	3. Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there. Thanks to those that are stopping by to read. I have had a few ideas for this fic running around my head for a few months now. I am not completely certain in what directions I will be going with this fic. I am kind of writing it as I go. Hope it is enjoyable. If anyone feels like leaving some reviews or questions, please feel free to do so. Later! :)

She felt terrible as she waited outside of the door to his place. As the breeze went past her, she heard the palm trees rattling as if they would uproot and fly away towards the ocean.

The entire way to his place she had wished that when she arrived she wouldn't have found his Tiki sign on the door. He had told her from the moment they met that when he placed that sign on his door, it meant he didn't want to be disturbed.

There was a storm coming, and Hermie had gotten sick all over the front seat of her golf cart. She was covered in vomit that was not hers, reeked of booze that had splashed on her while tending the bar, and tired.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she bagged on his door until she heard footsteps.

When he opened the door all she could see were his nostrils flaring.

"Goddamn it, Nam--"

"Quinn -- I need to come inside!"

He took in her appearance and calmed down a bit. "What's the matter?" He looked at her; worry in his eyes.

"Hermie's sick."

His nostrils returned to flaring and he almost shut the door on her. She shoved her foot to stop the door from hitting her in the face and pushed into the door until she was stepping on his hardwood floor. "What the hell's that about?!"

"You know the rules." He pointed his finger at her; baring his teeth.

"Fuck the rules, Hermie's sick and there's a fucking storm coming!"

"You got a lot of nerve coming in my place swearing at me!" He never could get his point across without using his finger. "Hermie's got a place. In fact -- so do you. Take him to your place and leave me the hell out of this."

"How can you say that? You always help me with Hermie."

"Right. And now on my night off you want me to help, too?" He huffed in disbelief. "I didn't come to this island to baby-sit a grown ass man. If he can't get his shit together--"

"That's real rich, Quinn." She grew angry. "You were once in his position and I helped you."

"I didn't ask you to."

"Asshole." She muttered as she turned away from him, but then stopped to look him in the eyes. "Is that how you thank someone?" His eyes widened until he drew back a little and lowered his eyes. "Answer me."

"Look." He looked back at her with the same anger as before. "I admit that I was in a bad place when we met, but I never once asked you to drop everything and help me. Now look at you... you're covering for that don't even like you at a bar, serving liquor that ya got no business selling--"

"What are you a fucking cop now?!" She grit her teeth. "I'm only helping when I have time."

His hands rested on his hips and he looked to the floor. "...all I'm saying is that you do just a little too much for other people and in return, they don't give back shit."

She laughed cruelly. A sound from her that he had never heard in the three years he had known her. It was such a surprise to him, his head lifted and he started to stare at her.

"I can't..." She was so unnerved by the way he was looking at her. Beyond the surprise, there was nothing else. He just couldn't realize the point that was right in front of his face.

"You can't, what? What's the matter?" He had simply asked her, but to her it came across as badgering and she felt as if he was backing her into a corner.

"Forget it." She bit her tongue and turned from him, this time making it out of onto his porch and going for the stairs.

He followed her, calling after her to wait up.

"Go back inside." She flatly told him as she reached her golf cart just in time to see Hermie throw up again. "...Hermie..." She rubbed her brow, her head beginning to ache. "Didn't I tell you to aim for the sand."

"...sorry..." He managed to say; sitting there in his own mess.

Naomi opened the door and heard a splash while also feeling some on her sandal-covered feet. She felt her stomach turn a little, but she did her best to push on.

"What a goddamned mess--"

"QUINN!" She snapped at him; hollering his name with such a threat behind it. "GET BACK INSIDE!"

"Don't tell me what to do this. This is my property!" He kept insisting.

"I don't give a shit. You're not helping me right now so just go back inside."

He felt his shoulders up to his ears. Looking around he tried to work the strain from his neck, but it wasn't working.

"Move." He pushed his way between them and threw Hermie over his shoulder. "Goddamned drunken son of a bitch--"

"Hiya Quinn..."

"Shut up, Hermie." He ordered.

Walking back inside felt like the loggest walk he had ever taken. Things started off okay until Hermie threw up all over the back of shorts. Feeling the warmness from his stomach contents drip down the back of his legs was the most disturbing thing he had felt in a while.

\----------

His kitchen was in desperate need for repairs and he made his tenth mental reminder as they both sat quietly at his kitchen table.

The smell of coffee and soap lingered in the air as they both did their best to ignore each other.

The muffled sound of Hermie snoring continued in the distance as the rain beat against the outside of his house. At times the roof sounded as if someone had been on top of it power-washing it.

He rubbed the back of his neck as he moved his head around a few times. That soon grew tiring and it wasn't doing anything to relieve his tension.

"I'm not sure what bug crawled up your ass, Quinn..." She began, "But I don't like it."

"It's not a bug." He fired back instantly. It was if he had just been waiting for her to break the silence first. "I'm just a little sick and tired of this bullshit. Wouldn't anyone be?"

"He needs help. Do you see any AA classes around here?"

"He isn't your responsibility."

"Sometimes people are put here to help others. Sometimes people are just here...here to take care... you know what I'm saying?"

He did hear what she was saying, but he was tired of hearing it. "So that's what your life is going to be? Ya gonna look after him until one day he--"

"Don't!" She finally looked at him with worry in her eyes. "...I don't want to talk about that."

"At the rate he's going--"

"Stop it!" She demanded.

He opened his mouth, but soon closed it as he saw her eyes well with tears. "I just don't know what the hell you expect from all of this."

"I don't expect anything."

"Well then I just don't understand it."

"I didn't ask you to."

"No, but you come here and you get me involved. Every single time I hear somebody banging on my door I know it's you. It's always you and you always have some sort of problem that you need my help with."

"You're my partner."

"I'm not your only partner, Naomi."

She rolled her eyes. Carter and her had never gotten along for a number of reasons. Oscar hardly traveled with them... he was more their dispatcher and contact stationed on the island when they left for the other islands.

"I could say the same thing, Quinn." Her expression full of attitude. "I didn't see you demanding the others to get their pilot license."

"There's a lot that goes with flying. They're not even at the beginning of knowing what there is to know about it. I've taught you about it since day one."

"So that makes it alright?"

"If you didn't get your license, we would be grounded."

"And grounded would be bad."

He paused for a moment. "...YES! If we're grounded, we're out of business."

"Are we truly out of business? You've never stopped working a day since you've been on this island. Before you became an instructor, which you do not have a real license for, you were perfectly find making a living out of flying tourists."

"That wasn't good enough for me. I wanted more."

"So you joined 'my' team of explorers--"

"what Team? Yourself and Oscar. What on earth could the both of you do or go without having a pilot?"

She shook her head around a dry laugh. "You know, sometimes you're a real piece of work, Quinn."

"What the hell are ya saying?"

"Just because you're the pilot everyone knows on this island doesn't make you the best at everything else. You didn't know how to a tie a proper fucking knot until I showed you how." She couldn't stop there, not after he said what he said to her. "You also didn't know how to properly crack open a cocoanut, build a roof out of palm tree leaves, sow seeds, or fish!" Her voice had risen. "When I met you, everything you told me you knew how to do was how you taught yourself and the way you taught yourself was the wrong way."

He sat there in a silent rage. Her insults bruising his ego.

"Bullshit--"

"Is it?" She challenged him. Her eyebrows raised. "I picked up more about piloting than you did about island survival within a month. The first island we went to... if I had left you to the crops, we'd all have died."

"And you think I'm acting like I'm better than everyone else?" He rolled his eyes.

"I was born on an island, Quinn. I know the cultures... I know the island life. You came here... it isn't the same thing."

"Look--" He was back with his finger again, pointing it at her. "I pull my own goddamned weight around here. I've never taken anything that wasn't mine--"

"For fuck's sake... Quinn, I'm not calling you a pirate."

"No--you're just calling me a goddamned freeloader."

"I never said that!" She inhaled sharply. "What the hell is the matter with you?!"

"Nothing." He stood from his chair and grabbed the coffee mugs from his table.

"I wasn't finished."

"Too bad." He threw over his shoulder as he practically threw them in the sink.

"Smart move. Why don't you just smash them against the wall?"

"Why don't you go and do something?!" He snapped; turning around and holding his hands up in defeat. "Anything I say or do isn't good enough for you!"

She sat there wondering what his problem was. From the very beginning of the evening he was doing and saying everything so carelessly and almost cruel-like, if not just that, she didn't know what to honestly think.

She saw him stretching his neck again as he grimaced.

"What'd you do to your neck?"

"Just... just get outta here..." He flung his arm out in front of him and used his finger to point into his living area. "I pulled out the sofa bed already. Sheets are already on it."

She could tell him she didn't appreciate being told what to do, but she knew she wouldn't get anywhere with him that night.

"Fine." She sighed loudly while grabbing a few of her things that she had brought inside. They had been sitting on top of his kitchen table. "Goodnight."

"...night." He muttered with his back turned and his hands scrubbing at the mugs they had just used.

She lingered in the doorway and watched him. Somewhere deep down she started to feel badly for what had just happened, but she didn't know how to begin to apologize.

Sighing one last time, she walked out of his kitchen.


	4. The Stakes

Carter was just about one of the most argumentative people anyone on the island ever really saw. Even those who were fortunate enough to miss his meltdowns, heard about it later and would always completely understand just how intolerable he truly was.

He nearly stepped on her hand as she reached for the tray of oil.

"CARTER!" She barked, "Stop acting like a damn kid and make yourself useful. We're taking off in three days and we haven't even gotten to the end of the first page to our check-list."

"Not my problem. All of this would just be settled if things were fair around here."

"You want to complain? Take it up with Jefferies. I'm not the one that makes the rules."

"You know he won't change on my behalf. He's got his lips attached to Quinn's ass--"

Naomi rolled her eyes. It had already proven to be the start of a very long day. She almost cursed Quinn under her breath, but decided not to because that would only add fuel to an already raging fire. She hated having maintenance duties with Carter, or any duties really, because his attitude was just too much to take in all at once and on top of it all.

"Listen Carter, one day you'll get your own plane and you two can fly your own team. For right now...Quinn's in charge when it comes to piloting the plane. We just took our damn tests for crying out loud... we're allowed to fly, but I don't think we're 'fit' to fly."

"It's not fair. I'm just as good of a pilot as he is."

"I've never seen you fly a plane." She rolled her eyes, "Look -- we're gonna end up frying in this sun longer than we need to. Let's finish what we've got going and then in about an hour or so we'll break for lunch."

"I'm not eating with you."

"Whatever, Carter." She had no real intention of eating with him in the first place.

\----------

Her tuna salad would have been the highlight of her day if it hadn't been for the massive headache she had. Holding her head up with one hand, she ate with the other in the corner booth of Tiki.

"Rough night?" Andy came by to pester her in a playful way.

"Not as rough as yours." She remarked as she took in his shirt. It was all wrinkled and faded, "You must have slept here."

"I got here early... toilet needed to be fixed." He snorted. "I feel like I took a brick out of there."

She made a face and felt her stomach jolt. "Ugh... gross." She muttered.

"No, really -- I took a picture--"

"ANDY!" She knocked his hand away, "I don't want to see a picture of it. Stop wasting film... it's hard to store those things around here. Too much sunlight."

"Just look at it." He shoved it in her face, then burst out laughing. "What'd you think I'd show you?"

"I don't know..." She muttered, shaking her head before laughing a little, "Sometimes I feel like I get shown stuff all the time that I shouldn't."

"Care to share?" He sat across from her.

"Wouldn't you like to know." She broke into a small smile, "I haven't got the time or the energy to even begin to tell you today."

"I'll take a raincheck then."

"Fair enough." They settled on that and she continued to eat.

"Usually you get something creamy..." He took in her tuna salad, "Taken a step on the scale lately?"

She mocked offense. "Are you trying to tell me something."

"I'm trying to tell everybody something, but nobody listens... so I just keep talkin'." He grinned. "I think we all get to a place where we wonder where the hell did my body go..." He scratched his head, "In my case, I ask where my hair went."

They laughed... nice to be in good spirits and good company.

He found her checking her watch. That had been the reason that he came over... she had done it at least three times since she sat down to eat.

"Expecting a date?" His eyebrows were raised and he looked hopeful.

"No. I'm waiting for Quinn." She rolled her eyes. "He told me he'd be here... we've got to go over a few things before we take off in the next few days."

He nodded, his hopes somewhat disappearing as the seconds ticked on. "Jefferies was here last night... told me all about it... said it'd be the make it or break it deal."

Naomi chewed a piece of tuna while reaching into her bag and grabbing a bottle of pain relievers. "I can't massage this one away, I'm afraid..." She told him as she guzzled two pills. "Go on, I'm listening." His eyebrows went up in a questionable gaze, "The make it or break it deal... I know nothing about that."

He wished that he hadn't mentioned it now, but there would be no going back. She had given him her full attention and he felt she deserved to know about it anyway.

"Promise you didn't hear it from me?"

"Pinky swear." She offered his pinky which he didn't take, but he broke into a small smile. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

He took a deep breath before he began, "... so it seems that the reason for this trip has a lot more to do with finding someone to bring some serious money to the table."

"That'd most likely be Robin Monroe."

His mouth hung open, then he spoke. "So you do know."

"I know that much... I just didn't realize what was at stakes. I didn't realize the company would tank... Jefferies looks like he's loaded."

"Cracker Jack stuff. I assure you."

"You're joking."

"I wouldn't joke about Jefferies..." He thought for a moment, "Actually, I would."

"You never really trusted him."

"Nah..." He shrugged, "I've seen the way he operates. You're his best friend until you're not longer providing him with what he needs... then you're not worth shit and he tries to do away with you."

"You make him sound like he's in the Mafia."

"Nah... Mafia won't do away with you unless you're loyal." He shook his head and moved his mouth as if he had a bad taste in it. "Jefferies just feeds off people's 'yes' mentality. He allows everyone to say yes to him and instead of telling them otherwise, he just becomes intoxicated by it. It's go, go, go with him... he's got his eye on the prize. He doesn't care about how he operates so long as he gets things done. A very selfish man."

Just then Quinn appeared and caught the end of the conversation.

"I'm a little late and suddenly I'm being talked about?" He mocked offense as he slid in across from Naomi. "I hope you haven't eaten whatever's in stock."

She gave him a fake smile before flicking an olive at him.

"Thanks." He picked it up and gobbled it up.

Andy watched the man now sitting next to him and kept his mouth closed.

"What's the matter Andy? Wife's got your tongue?" Naomi kicked Quinn from under the table and narrowed her eyes. "It was a joke..." He cleared his throat when he noticed the serious look on Andy's face. "...Hey man, I'm sorry... really. I was just trying to bust your stones a little..."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Alright... how's about some lunch?"

"I'm nearly done with mine." She shrugged. "It's been nearly an hour I've been sitting here waiting for you."

"I got caught up with a few students..." He sighed, "I'm starting to wonder if men as a whole are changing..."

"Some never change." Andy blurted out.

Quinn caught the look he was giving him and almost asked him if he had directed that comment at him. Instead, Andy asked him to move out the way so she could get back to work.

"Naomi... see you later." Andy addressed her with a friendly wave. Looking at Quinn, he kept his hand down. "I'll see ya." He tossed at him before he left his table.

Quinn watched him leave before looking back at Naomi. She only stared back at him so he took that time to grab some bread that was sitting in a bread basket. "What bug crawled up his ass this morning?"

"Don't worry about him. Carter, on the other hand..." She almost felt her headache return full force at just the mention of his name. "One of these days he's going to find you and have it out with you."

"I'd like to see him try." He broke into a hearty chuckle. "Look, all I'd have to do with that guy is go straight for his balls and he'd be finished."

She made a face around her salad leaves. "Thanks for painting such a beautiful picture."

He fanned her off. "He's nothing, but jealous." He shrugged. "He's always been that way."

"That's true..." She chewed a bit more before swallowing, "But..." She caught the look on his face. "I'm sorry Quinn, but he does have a point. It's been a few years now that you've kept him at bay... you've purposely held him back from getting his pilot license. If he's not such a tough guy, what are you so afraid of?"

"Being tough as nothing to do with it. I'm not a tough guy either, but I'm not about to hand my plane over to some rookie. I've worked too hard to get where I am."

"No one is trying to take your plane away, but what's the use of training pilots if you're not going to trust them with your plane? Trust them with your life?"

He shifted in his seat, not liking where the conversation was going. "I didn't come here for this--"

"No, you didn't, but you made me wait an hour and the only excuse you had for me was that you got held back by some of your students."

"It's a damn good excuse -- and it's the truth."

"I'm not saying you're lying, but I know what students you met with today... they're not exactly the brightest guys in the world."

"They're trying."

"And they're also staying up way later than they should, howling at the moon -- and women, in a drunken state. If you're willing to give them even more of your time than is required, at least you can find time to have a decent conversation with Carter."

"Seriously, Naomi?" He shook his head in disbelief, "You're telling me to give Carter more of my time? You can't even stand him!"

"That's besides the point. I'm not the one with the power to change roles."

"Neither am I."

"Jefferies respects you."

"When I'm doing a great job he does. When I'm not, he's got nothing good to say about him."

She sighed. Pushing her plate away, she felt her stomach twist a little. Perhaps her headache had been a migraine instead. Rubbing her eyes, she felt them blur when she opened them.

"Just talking about him is making you sick."

"No -- Quinn, what's gotten me sick is having to deal with his bitching first thing this morning blazing sun. He carried one for the entire morning." She grit her teeth. "I'm a getting a little tired of trying to get through you."

"Then stop." He opened his menu right in front of his face so she couldn't look at him.

"Sometimes you're just a jerk." She knocked his menu down so she could face him. "The last thing we want is hostility on our team. It's just bad company."

"There's already been enough of that through the years."

"It doesn't mean that it has to stay that way. You're older than he is... you should know better."

He huffed." I haven't done anything to that man. He's just gotten in way over his head--" He didn't appreciate the look she gave him. "I'm not way in over my head."

"YOu're not?" She crossed her arms over her chest and thought some more. "Tell me when you're ready for me to start calling off each and every time you've been way in over your head."

He smacked his fist down on the table.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" She waited for him to react, but he only sat there turning slightly red. "Take it easy, Quinn. Nobody's perfect."

"Look. I'm gonna tell you this once more before this conversation is put to rest. I haven't got a problem with Carter, but he needs a really good fix in his attitude and there's nothing that will allow him to fly my plane. Even if I go blind--"

"Oh shut up, Quinn." She fanned him off. "You're so impossible sometimes. You're just as bad as Carter is!"

He flinched at that. She hadn't thought much about it before she said it, but now that she had, she started to feel guilty about saying it.

"I didn't mean that..." She said it as easily as she could.

He turned away from her and she thought what could there possibly be about Carter that made him react that way. After thinking for a few more minutes, in silent, she settled on Quinn possibly knowing more about Carter than she actually did.

"I'm sorry." She said it simply and didn't stammer on her words. "Why don't you order some lunch?"

"I'm not hungry."

She sighed. "Are we going to talk about our upcoming trip?"

He was going to blow her off just because of the shift in his mood, but decided that wouldn't do them any good.

"Am I interrupting something?"

They both turned to look in the direction of the voice.

"No!" Naomi was the first to answer. "Sit down, we were just about to have lunch."

Their eyes narrowed in on her plate of tuna salad.

"I'm a big eater." She said with ease and around a mile. "This was just an apetizer."

"Are you sure?" Robin seemed embarrassed.

"Please sit down."

Naomi moved closer to the inside of the booth, while Quinn nearly flew out of the other side. The fork from Naomi's plate banged on the counter as his large hand shook the table.

She gave him a weird look before looking at Robin. "Maybe it'd be safer if you sat next to me."

He made a sheepish face, then tried to cover it with a warm smile. "It's better on this side... less sun in your eyes."

She smiled kindly at Naomi, while taking Quinn's offer. When she finally sat down, she looked at Naomi. "Sometimes a woman just goes for that extra gentleman touch."

Naomi only smiled. What she had found more interest in was how his whole demeanor had suddenly changed. She knew he was a charming, but it seemed to really be oozing from his pores at the moment.

"What should I order?" She said as she reached for a menu.

"The tuna salad is really good." Naomi offered, while praying she could eat something else as her stomach churned a little on and off while her head felt fuzzy.

"Lobster rolls are good."

"I don't see those..." She tried to get a closer look at the menu.

"They're right here." He invaded her space just to point at a spot in her menu.

Naomi tried to get his attention. She knew it was important to show Robin a great time, but if he kept it up he might offend her. Still, she found herself meeting nothing, but a brick wall almost, as he ignored her and continued to pay very close attention to their client.

By the time their orders had arrived, he had made her laugh seven times while Naomi sat there wondering if either of them knew she had been sitting there, almost breathing loudly, directly in front of them.

"So what makes a woman want to pilot a plane?" Robin said before she began working on her lobster roll.

She felt like telling her the truth, but saw the wild look in Quinn's eyes, "Oh you know... the same deal... women can do everything so why not fly?"

"That's incredible."

"It is..." She hoped she wouldn't want her to go into detail because she still hadn't flown really... and she didn't exactly care for it. "Quinn's a great teacher..." There had been more she wanted to say, but she ended up shoving a piece of pineapple into her mouth to shut her up.

Quinn swallowed a bit of his lobster roll, glancing at Robin to smile at her before returning his gaze to Naomi... almost as if he was telling her with his eyes that he was watching her.

"That's what I hear." She offered. "I went shopping in the hotel and someone working the valet told me they knew him." She motioned towards Quinn. "He said you were the best pilot around."

"I probably owe him money." He joked, "Might not be safe for me to walk home alone."

She lightly laughed. "I believe he had been sincere."

He shrugged a small shrug and offered the smallest of smiles. "What's shopping in hotels like?"

"Expensive. If i hadn't promised friends and family back home I'd bring back something for each and everyone of them, I'd not have shopped."

"Before you go, I could fly you out to another island not too far away... they've got a great local community... lots of handmade stuff. I'm not sure what your style is or that of your friends and family back home, but they might appreciate something like that. There's really a lot of culture."

"And my brother can offer a discount." Naomi piped in, then smiled widely. "He owns a shoe store down there."

"Is that so?"

"Yup." She continued to smile. "He practically gave Quinn every pair he currently owns."

"Some were gifts, others I paid for... no discount." He spoke up.

Naomi shrugged easily, as she continued to smile.

Robin took a sip of her island-y beverage. "Thank you... maybe I'll take you up on that."

"Make sure it's in the middle of the week. That'd be the best time for me." Naomi looked at him while she was talking. "I think that's the best time for tourists."

His mouth went up a little, but she would hardly call it a smirk.

"...okay..." He finally said, but soon was on to something else. "Are you all packed for the trip?"

"I'm packed... but I'm not sure if home I'm packed is the right way to pack."

"I could help you with that." Naomi said. "I pack most of the stuff for our trips and double check what's already been packed."

"Did someone pull straws?" She cleared her throat. "I ask because that's a stressful job."

Naomi laughed. "Well, I certainly didn't sign up for it, but once a few years ago..." She laughed good-heartedly as the memory became so vivid. "... I don't know if Quinn ever told you, but he hadn't always been a pilot teacher or part of an expedition team. No...no, when I met him and we started flying together, he had been a freight pilot. The only thing he used to bring with him on our trips had been..." She watched as his face grew stern, so she skipped over a few parts in her head, "... were things that didn't quite make sense, or add up."

Robin found delight in the store. Putting down her fork, she leaned forward, "Like what?"

Quinn felt his face flush a little as he waited for Naomi to continue her story.

"Trinkets... tie dye clothing... flare guns... well, flare guns are always a must, so I wouldn't hold that against him -- nor did I. I think in his mind so long as he had these things, he thought he could make use of them."

"How did that make sense?"

"Like I said, in his mind..." She laughed warmly. "He did pack clothes and snacks, but he traveled like a true... adventurer. Someone who could make a home wherever he landed."

Silence fell at the table as the wheels in Robin's head began to spin a little and as Naomi warmly remembered the first time she went on a trip with him.

Sitting there, he wondered what both women were thinking and hoping that he didn't look like a big fat idiot in that very moment.

"So that's why I pack... I pack because I haven't got that in my nature. I can't just make it up as I go."

"Women tend to plan. Men tend to wing-it."

Naomi shrugged. "I guess, but who gets caught up in that men verses women nonsense anyway?" After the words left her mouth, she fell back and almost cringed. "...sorry... no disrespect to what you do for a living, I just..." Quinn only narrowed his eyes. "... I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Robin laughed a little. "I understand it isn't for every woman or man out there. We cater to a certain demographic... a certain lifestyle and personality."

"I bet you do well."

"We do. Sometimes things do get mundane... that's why I'm here. I want something more... something new."

The three fell into an understanding and continued eating their lunch with a bit of small talk in-between.

\----------

Later that night, Naomi found herself banging on Quinn's door sometime after eleven.

Still, with no sign present on his door, he ripped the door open knowing very well who would be standing behind it.

"What?"

"Have you spoken to Carter?"

He looked over her head to see if anyone had been nearby. "You had to come her to ask me that?"

"I was in the area." She shrugged. "Can I come in?"

"It's late."

She found that to be a lame excuse, so she decided to talk. "Andy told me he nearly decked you about an hour ago." His face grew tense and he leaned forward. Her mouth opened as she took in the bruise around his mouth. "Holy shit... he made contact!"

"...pretentious little prick..." He found himself replaying what had happened as she pushed her way into his apartment and went straight to his ice box. He blinked, coming to his senses and realizing that she had let herself in. "Go home, Naomi."

"You've got to ice that thing otherwise--"

"I've already iced it. The best thing I can do for it now is leave it alone."

She brought the ice over to him anyway, using her finger to try to poke at it. "Does it hurt?"

He knocked her hand away. "Would you leave me alone?!"

She stood there looking at him and judging his foolishness. "What the hell did you say to him?"

"Nothing." He took the ice from her and made his way back to his kitchen to put away. "That guy's a goddamned ticking time bomb. All it took for him to explode had been seeing my face."

"You're one hell of a stud." She joked.

"That's not funny. This isn't funny." He pointed to his mouth while wincing. "Look -- I've taken something for the pain and the only way I wanted this night to end was to get a good night's rest."

"I can let myself out."

"Good. Do that."

"...but I'm not..." She laughed a little.

"What the hell is so funny?"

"You said if he came at you, you'd go for his balls... did you even get anywhere near his balls?" She couldn't help it anymore. She burst into laughter so hard that she almost had tears in her eyes.

All the while he stood there with a swollen face and a bruised ego.

"Did you come here to get into it with me? Please, Naomi... once for a day is enough."

"I'm just..." She couldn't stop herself from laughing long enough to speak a complete sentence.

"Tonight was the first and the very last time I try to reason with that shit head." His tone had grown even more serious. "I went to see Jefferies. Carter's on probation until further notice."

She stopped laughing as his words sunk in. "... you really mean, business... huh?" She swallowed, no more laughing threatening to come out. "That's not gonna help him on our trip."

"No, but that's where you come in." He narrowed his eyes. "It was your bright idea to reason with him--"

"Hang on, Quinn. I never said for you to go at it like a couple of school boys. I figured you both were mature enough to have a much needed conversation with each other."

"There's nothing wrong with where I came from. I gave him more respect than he deserves." He pointed his finger at her, "So now it's your job to make sure that he's kept under control while away."

"Are you kidding?!" She was beside herself. "I'm not going to babysit that jackass!"

"Oh, so now he's a jackass, huh?" He tried to smirk, but his face hurt too much and he ended up regretting trying to twist his face in such a way.

"Of course he's a jackass. I never said that he wasn't."

"No, but you did say that we were one in the same."

"That's not the complete truth about what I said, Quinn. You know damn well I didn't say it in that way."

"Sounded like it to me." She rolled his eyes at his sensitivity, because she knew he was just being sore about getting punched in the face by someone he felt he was better than even if only in the slightest -- but overall, if speaking on a pilot level. "That's besides the point, anyway. Jefferies has put you in charge. You want to play a different role? Take it up with him."

"Why couldn't you tell him that this wouldn't be such a good idea? Carter can't stand me."

"Carter can't stand anybody."

"It's different with me, Quinn..." She sighed. Suddenly her shoulders hurt and her head had begun to hurt again. "... he's got this aversion to me. I'm not sure what the hell it is about me, but he just doesn't... we don't work well together. Not alone."

"Talk to Jefferies."

"There's no one else, Quinn!" She insisted. "Oscar usually stays grounded."

"Well, he's coming along this time. Maybe Jefferies can put him in charge of Carter."

"Why would you want to do that to Oscar? He's such a sweetheart... he doesn't deserve to be stuck with Carter."

"And either do I." He huffed. "I'll hang his ass upside down if he gets in my goddamned face one more time."

Her hands came to rest on her hips. "What will Robin think about all of this?"

"She's not going to know what's happened. It's none of her business. As far as she's concerned -- we're a happy family and we're going to show her one hell of a great time."

"Carter won't allow it."

"If you do your job right -- and you will, then everything will be fine." He took a deep breath. "You take care of carter and I'll take care of Robin."

"Quinn, I don't think--"

"Time for bed." He shut her down quickly as he went to his door and opened it. "Lock it behind you."

She stood there watching him. Her hands still on her waist and every scenario that could happen, going through her head at rapid speed.

He stood there watching her watch him, never once softening his eyes and giving in to her silent pleading.


	5. Sleeping Arrangements

She had warned him about the weather. Something in her gut had led her to believe that there would be a large amount of rainfall. He, of course, had another opinion.

She had been right though. The moment they landed three days ago, it had begun to rain. Luckily for all of them, she packed for the weather just in-case. Her idea of sliding down a mountain with the wrong footwear was not a good one, so each night she sat while cleaning her boots, smiling warmly at them for saving her a fall she didn't want to experience.

"I've never seen anyone clean boots the way you do." He sat in the corner of the tent with his glasses resting on his nose.

"I've never seen anyone reading the same old and crusty pilot magazine."

Her delivery could have been in a better tone, but she hadn't like the way their journey had began. Tolerating Carter wasn't working out so well for her as she had visions of flipping him off the raft at least five times in a day.

He knew she was bothered, but he had his mind on other things. In his opinion he landing had been graceful and the happy front everyone was putting on, he hoped, was enough for anyone to believe.

"I'll have you know this magazine has taken me lots of places."

She almost rolled her eyes, but thought better. He had a passion and he had free-will to do whatever he wanted in his spare-time, but so did she.

Yesterday she found herself out after dark. Carter hadn't secured the bag he made her carry. When all of the rocks fell out, they rolled... down a mountain. When they had finally made it back, it was nearly 4 in the morning. For so much of her spare time, she had to listen to him fault her for their situation.

"Maybe you can let Carter borrow it. Maybe if I'm lucky, it'll take him lots of places." She stopped brushing her boots, "Maybe he'll just disappear."

He grinned, "He seems to be tolerable from what I can tell."

"You didn't spend the night with him--" She put her head to the side when she noticed his raised eyebrows, "That's not what I mean."

"It isn't." He mocked innocence. "I would never think such a thing."

She wanted to throw one of her boots at him, but she didn't have any energy. Much like the rocks, she went tumbling down after them, or so it seemed. Her back ached and so did her legs. Her ankles though, they itched from bug bites.

"Get off my case, Quinn." She muttered.

"I'm not on your case."

"Then keep your damn mouth shut." She snapped at him, gathering her her things.

"I thought I was doing a good job of that after getting it punched in a few days ago." He tossed at her.

"I didn't hit you."

"Did I say you did?"

"No, but you keep talking about it." She put her head to the side, smiling flatly. "What's the matter? You want some attention?"

"Get out of here..." He tossed his head to the side, closing his magazine. "This isn't anything to bother with." He motioned towards his mouth, waving his head like it wasn't a big deal.

"Tought guy all of a sudden..." She muttered as she went back to the task at hand.

He shrugged. "Alright, so I was a little worked up the night it happened... shit happens." He shrugged again.

She wanted to say something more, but a voice from the outside ended up bringing the both of them outside of the tent.

Robin laughed lightly when they both struggled to untangle themselves. "Next time, ladies first, huh?" Naomi tossed at him as she straightened her shirt. "I swear, sometimes he doesn't know his arms from his legs."

He glared at her, but didn't say anything. Instead he shrugged and laughed, "I'm a tall guy... and clumsy."

That sounded so weird to her ears, but she didn't question it. She figured he was really working on appearances for the sake of funding.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Yes... well sort of..." She put her head to the side, then sighed. "Okay -- everything isn't okay. I seem to have a large tear in my tent."

"How'd that happen?" He flashed Naomi a pair of wild eyes before he started walking farther away from the tent. Robin followed him, trying to explain her story to the both of them, but losing the ability to as she was following him.

Naomi dropped her things jogged to catch up with them.

"It's defected."

"I hardly doubt--"

He put his hand out to silence her and she listened to him, but only for another minute. When he started to get crabby about the tent, that's when she spoke up again -- this time jumping in front of both of them to stop their walking.

"Wait a minute..." She put her hands up. "The tent is not defected. It's broken."

"What do you think--"

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that it's broken, on one side. We've got some duck tape. We can patch it up."

"No." He shook his head roughly. "You can have my tent."

"We usually only pack three. One for you, one for me, and one for Carter."

"This time we have two extra people."

"I understand that. That is why Carter and Oscar are sharing one. We are sharing one... the third was for Robin. I didn't want her to feel crowded."

The three of them stood there in total silence for what seemed like an eternity.

"Look... I don't want to cause any trouble, it's just that I've never slept out under the stars before and I'm a little nervous about some sort of sea creature getting in my tent and crawling up my shorts in the middle of the night, ya know?" She ended with a nervous laugh.

"We understand." He spoke for her. "Take our tent."

"That's not really solving the problem. Then we'll be without shelter... and I'm sure the rain is just taking a break for another half hour or so."

He inhaled, not liking how it looked on their part.

"Someone can always sleep in the plane..." She offered.

"With all of our stuff in there? Maybe after we unload it, it'll be an option, but that won't be for another week or so. It's too cramped the way it is now."

"Okay." Naomi sighed. He did have a point, but she still didn't see what the big deal was. "It's just a tear..." She said more to herself, but loud enough for them to hear.

"Tell you what... we'll switch." He looked to Robin with questioning eyes, "Will that be okay?"

She made a face. "I don't reallly like the idea of putting you both in a defected tent."

If the word 'defected' came around one more time until she got some rest, Naomi was sure she would scream. "I don't mind."

"Neither do I." He insisted. "We'll get some of our things for the night. In the morning we can switch everything out."

"Sounds great." She smiled and thanked them.

\----------

"Do me a favor, will ya?"

"What?" She half-groaned in her sleep.

"Get your ass over here and help me tape this goddamned hole in this goddamned tent."

"Leave it alone, Quinn. Go to sleep. Crabs really aren't going to find their way in here."

"No, but the damn rain is and all of my shit is getting wet." He huffed.

Sighing, she climbed walked on her knees over to him. Taking the tape from him, she left him to peel duct tape off his hands, fingers, and wrist. "Seriously Quinn, are you trying to waste it all?"

"Just pull off a piece and keep quiet. I wouldn't be dealing with this if you'd bother to check the tents."

"I'm sorry, but you left me to pack everything."

"You always pack everything."

"I do, but this time I knew that I was coming along to be someone's babysitter." She shot him a look she knew he would see. "Why don't you hold the sides together so I can patch this up the correct way."

"I didn't make the rules. Jefferies did."

"Jefferies wouldn't have if you hadn't gone to him." She worked on the tear, while she thought. "I get it that you were upset and your face hurt, but for you to go off and be a narc about something petty that the Always-Petty-Carter did or said..." She finished up and looked at him, "...was stupid.

"There's a lot at stake here. This isn't just some routine expedition."

"It's supposed to be." She sat on her heels. "... we're supposed to make this look as natural as possible and do you know what that means? It means... being natural."

"If we were natural, it'd never work."

"You're creating too much of a fake layer."

"I'm putting in just enough of a good impression to get us where we need to be."

"...you're getting Jefferies where he needs to be, Quinn." She grew quiet. "I know you want more, but... sometimes more isn't always better. You came from more and where did you find yourself?"

"You're never going to stop throwing that in my face, are ya?"

"I'm not throwing it in your face, I'm just... I'm just at a bit of a loss in the last few months. You finally got where you wanted to be as a pilot, instructing others to pilot, going on expeditions... and now you're all about this funding. You want to expand... it's all too much."

"No it isn't. Sooner or later what's there on the island won't be enough. If the island doesn't get the funding it needs, and the security, it'll be taken over. That's when people are really going to have to get up and go... and I'm not about to get up and go. I've come too far."

She looked around the tent before looking back at him. "... just don't get your hopes up. A feature in a magazine isn't going to get you everything you want. It's just a moment to shine and then it's back to work." She saw his expression change. "I'm just saying... don't get in over your head."

"I'll keep that in mind."

She knew from the tone in his voice that what she had said had been something he didn't like hearing. "Goodnight." She said over her shoulder as she crawled over to her pillow and blanket. "See you in the morning."

He sat there, focusing on the strip of tape she had placed against the tent. All the while, he thought.


End file.
